Man sentenced to prison for Allentown robberies

He is ordered to 31/2 to seven years for the three incidents.

One of two men who committed three armed robberies in Allentown in 2003 has been sentenced to 31/2 to seven years in state prison.

Angelo G. Rojas, 24, no address, was sentenced last Wednesday by Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg.

In April, Rojas, who cooperated with prosecutors in an unrelated investigation, entered no-contest pleas to three counts of conspiracy and one count of robbery.

Rojas' cousin and co-defendant, Juan R. Melendez, 19, of 131 E. Susquehanna St., Allentown, was sentenced in January to five to 10 years in state prison.

Steinberg recommended that Melendez be housed in the state prison at Pine Grove, Indiana County, for young offenders.

Melendez had pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy and one count of robbery.

On April 30, 2003, police went to a home at 139 E. Susquehanna St., Allentown, because of a report of a home invasion and arrested both men.

Police found a ski mask on Melendez, who confessed and said he went to the house "for the purpose of collecting money," according to his arrest affidavit.

Melendez, who also had drugs and a firearm, said he had been wearing the ski mask. Police said the victim, Louis Kulp, had been threatened with a gun.

Melendez and Rojas also faced charges in a robbery on April 23, 2003, at an Econo Lodge on Downeyflake Lane in Allentown.

Motel employee Vishweshway Reddy was at the front desk when a man entered and asked about room rates, police said.

The man, who police said was Rojas, displayed a gun, which may have been a BB gun, and threatened Reddy. "Give me the money. I'll shoot you," Rojas said, according to an arrest affidavit.

Police said Rojas took three bags from a cash drawer and fled to a vehicle where Melendez was waiting.

Reddy gave police the license plate number of the car, which was traced to a woman who said her son, Rojas, used the car.

After his arrest in the home invasion, Melendez told police that Rojas was upset about the amount of money in the bags. "I robbed this place for $75," Rojas said, according to Melendez.

The two men also were charged in an April 17, 2003, robbery in an apartment at 510 Mosser St., Allentown.

Victim Edgar Burgos said there was a knock at the door and that he saw Rojas, the former boyfriend of a friend, outside. Once inside, Rojas pulled out a gun and asked Burgos where he kept his money, police said. Rojas took $140 and credit cards from the victim, police said.

Burgos said Rojas pointed a semiautomatic handgun about 4 inches from his chest, according to police.

The victim said Rojas used a cell phone to call someone outside and that Melendez entered the apartment.

Melendez took a small plastic jar with money, the victim said.

Burgos later learned that one of his credit cards had been used at a Bethlehem convenience store.

In that case, Rojas was fined $500 and ordered to pay restitution of $210 to Burgos and $300 to the victim's credit card company. Melendez also was ordered to pay his part of the restitution.

In the home invasion case, Rojas was ordered to pay $268 to Kulp for money that had been stolen.

Rojas was ordered to pay a $500 fine and restitution of $75 to the Econo Lodge.